All Things Dog Blog

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Many a dog owner has experienced the red marks or even scrapes of their pet's claws, especially after trimming. At this time the claws are at their most destructive condition, with rough edges that can do real damage. This is of particular concern with larger dogs.

Dremel tools have become the way to go for solving these scraping and scratching problems. The problem is a dremel is very expensive for most pet owners. Enter Pedipaws, the alternative to dremel which is much less pricey.

Pedipaws is not as heavy duty as a groomer's dremel tool, so it probably won't be sufficient for "trimming" your lab's heavy nails. There is a way to go about this though, if you are a do-it-yourselfer. After trimming Fido's nails the traditional way with a trimming tool, you can use the Pedipaws to smooth the rough edges, making his claws less destructive for both you and your home.

I worked with Tanner, my Golden Retriever, to see if he would accept my using the Pedipaws on him. My approach was calm, gentle and slow. First I began by leaving it lying around for him to investigate and sniff. Next I started turning it on across the room so he could hear its sound and become familiar with it. By ignoring the noise, I sent a message to Tanner that this object and its buzz were of no concern. He soaked up my non-verbal communication and decided it was nothing to worry about. At one point he even flopped down on the floor next to it while it was running. I figured that was my sign to move forward.

While Tanner lay across my lap, I turned it on and placed it on the floor nearby. When he did not react, I picked it up and held it softly against his shoulder to introduce him to the vibration. At first he pulled back. I ignored this and waited until he relaxed. Then I tried again.

After 5 or 6 tries, waiting for some time between each, Tanner realized there was nothing to fear and allowed me to hold the Pedipaws against his front leg and paw. I immediately gave him one of his favorite treats and told him affectionately what a good boy he is. His ears perked up and suddenly he seemed quite interested in getting acquainted with the Pedipaws.

My next step was to get him used to allowing me to hold the vibrating instrument against his paw pads. I did not press his nails forward until he became comfortable with the Pedipaws on his pads. Each time he allowed this I treated him and we had a warm snuggle. Tanner responds well to food and affection, as does Oliver, who also has been introduced to the Pedipaws. Oliver's claws, however, are like feathers, so I rarely use it on him. It's the big dogs that can really do the damage with sharp nails.

Today's giveaway is a Pedipaws nail trimmer and a set of 12 replacement heads. You can purchase your own Pedipaws at the links provided, if you prefer not to participate in the giveaway.

Please note that this giveaway will run for 2 weeks. You may enter by some methods daily if you wish; however, only the 2 mandatory entries are required to qualify you for the drawing. No purchase is necessary to win, however a valid contact method is necessary to contact the winner. Please be sure to include a Twitter handle, email address, or blog URL where I may contact you if you're the lucky winner.

If you do not see the Rafflecopter entry form below, simply click on the post title to refresh and it should appear hear in seconds. Good luck!